Richard Sipe responds to KC plea deal

Richard Sipe responds to KC plea deal

This is a most disturbing trend: the fifth time a Catholic bishop has been left off the hook for behavior that the average citizen would be held accountable. This should not be tolerated.

No matter what is distorting the normal and ordinary legal process—political power or money–it is unacceptable. This is the clerical system distorting justice and honesty. Bad for the Church, religion, and the country. Have we learned nothing from 20 years of sexual abuse crisis, over 6,000 priests reported as abusers and 100,000 of young victims? The pattern and practice goes on unabated and unreformed. Five years of "reeducation" of Finn will change nothing. (any more than it effected O'Brien, Pilarczyk, Walsh or the diocese of New Hampshire. This is a cop-out. Shame on Kansas City.